Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

Better to have one moment of genuine meditation than to perform religious activities for a thousand years.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

Our task is not to seek for love but to find all the barriers within ourselves that we have built against it.

The practice of Buddhism is fundamentally a practice of expanding our happiness and diminishing our suffering.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind.

When I run from suffering, it follows me. When I face suffering with equanimity, it runs from me.

Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.

The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

Each of you is perfect the way you are... and you can use a little improvement.

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

All experiences are preceded by mind, having mind as their master, created by mind.

The Buddha's teaching is a teaching of self-reliance, of being one's own master, one's own refuge.

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

The nature of mind is like a mirror. It is not affected by whatever appears in it, yet it never fails to reflect everything perfectly.

Awareness is always with us. We don't need to create it or achieve it - we just need to recognize what's already there.

The state of mind that exists when you sit in the right posture is, itself, enlightenment.

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay.

We can learn to be present with whatever is happening in our lives, and in this way, we can begin to transform our relationship to difficulty.

Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

The practice of meditation is like learning to play an instrument - it takes patience, regular practice, and a gentle touch.

The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: all these I do in Zen.

The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness.

In meditation, we're not trying to get rid of thoughts but to recognize their true nature.

To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma.

The practice of mindfulness leads naturally to concentration. Concentration leads naturally to wisdom.

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look into your present actions.

The mind is everything. What you think, you become.

Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are not philosophical concepts but realities to be directly perceived through mindfulness practice.

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.